The present invention relates to a device for the collation, insertion and collection of printed products.
Drum-type insertion and collation devices are known from, for example, CH Patent Specification Nos. 584,153 and 575,303 or the corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,951,399 and 4,058,202. They have several pocket-shaped accommodation parts which are disposed in the form of a star feeder around a common axis of rotation and with their lengthwise extension running in the direction of the axis of rotation. In the direction of the axis of rotation, provision is made for several feed stations which are spaced apart and which insert printed products into the accommodation parts. By means of clamping arrangements allocated to each accommodation part, the inserted printed products are held fast in the course of the revolutions about the axis of rotation and are conveyed from one feed station to the next and finally to a removal station, where the printed products which have been collated or inserted into each other are conveyed away. The clamping arrangements can be designed in such a way that the one side boundary of each accommodation part is designed as a roller track, against which the inserted printed products are pressed by means of roller-type rotary clamps. Each accommodation part can have allocated to it a carriage which in the course of a revolution about the axis of rotation carries out a conveyance and a return stroke, and which has clamps on its bottom to clamp the printed products resting on the bottom to the carriage during the conveyance stroke.
A collection drum having saddle-type supports disposed about a common axis of rotation is also disclosed, for example in DE-OS 36 20 945 or the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,116. Each support has allocated to it a rotary conveyor element with support elements and carriers for conveying the folded printed sheets deposited astride the support elements towards the axis of rotation in the course of the rotations of the supports about the axis of rotation. In addition, EP-OS 0,208,081 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,117 describe a feed station with which the infed folded printed sheets can be opened and placed on the support elements. The printed sheets thus placed on top of each other and collected along the processing line are lifted from the support elements by means of a removal station and are conveyed away.
Another device for the collection of folded printed products is known from EP-OS 0,095,603 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,930, in which a multiplicity of saddle-type supports are disposed like the rungs of a ladder on two parallel-rotating conveyor chains. Provision is made along the conveying upper track for several feed stations which are connected in series and which place folded printed products astride the supports. At the end of the conveying stretch the collected printed products thus placed on top of each other are lifted from the supports by means of a removal station and are conveyed away.
Another device for the collection of folded printed sheets is known from, for example, DE-OS 36 16 566 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,406. It has three rotary saddle-type supports disposed parallel to a common axis of rotation and rotating about the latter. In the direction of the axis of rotation provision is made in succession for two feeders for placing printed sheets on the supports and a stapler for stapling together the printed sheets lying on top of one another. The printed sheets thus collated and stapled slide onto a conveyor belt for discharge. Each support is provided with an endless rotating chain with carriers which act upon the printed sheets placed on the supports and while the supports are rotating about the common axis of rotation convey said sheets from one feeder to the other or to the stapler. Baffle plates are provided on either side of each support to prevent the printed sheets from spreading out. In order to prevent the printed sheets from falling off the supports while they are being moved along below the axis of rotation, provision is made for a half cylindrical surface on which the printed sheets slide with their fold during the lower half of the rotary movement.
Each of these known devices is suitable for either collection or insertion and collation of printed products. In order to be able to carry out all these activities, printing shops and printed products processing works, such as bookbinding businesses, must be equipped with the appropriate devices and machines.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to extend the uses of the known devices and thus to reduce the multiplicity of different devices and machines needed in printing shops and printed products processing works.